The Jeremiad Over Journalism

with Professor Melvin Mencher. Mollenhoff and Mencher‘s lecture spurred an article in
Journalisten giving seven precepts for conducting investigative reporting. 457
In the same issue an article in Journalisten depicted a case where an American journalist had been
killed, and the association of ―Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.‖ decided to get to the bottom
of the crime. In an article called ―Journalism or revengefulness?‖ Knud Søndergaard, as we have
noted, revealed that the concept of investigative journalism had not yet been adapted into everyday
use in Denmark. Søndergaard added, that the precondition for investigative reporting was, ―the
criminalized public life, its best example is the Watergate-detection which created a wave of
investigative reporting all across the country.‖ 458
At least two things are notable about this May issue of Journalisten from 1978. First, the articles
show that the Danish School of Journalism, four years after Columbia School of Journalism, started
to show an interest in Investigative reporting and brought in American teachers to introduce the
students to this new journalistic method.
Second, the articles also reveal that investigative reporting in the United States had been organized
around ―Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.‖ This organization demonstrated a certain
cohesiveness of the investigative journalism-approach, just as Tom Wolfe‘s book prescribed the
methodology of New Journalism. Investigative reporters in the United States thus had procedures
and routines which tied them together and separated them from other approaches to journalism.
Additionally, Søndergaard seemingly did not regard investigative reporting as something practiced
in Denmark, and judging from the statement about the ―criminalized public life,‖ he seems not to
have considered Denmark the prime location for this kind of reporting.
Clearly, however, the transmission of investigative journalism from the United States had begun
and the transnationalization exemplified by the two American investigative journalism guest
lecturers at the Danish School of Journalism is also an indicator that interest in investigative
457
Journalisten, "Syv Regler for Investigative Reportere [Seven Rules for Investigative Reporters]," Journalisten, May,
1978. Page 16.
458
Søndergaard, "Journalistik Eller Hævntørst? [Journalism or Revengefulness?]." Page 12-16. My translation. Original
text reads, ―Investigative Reporting er et begreb i USA. Vi ville nok oversætte det med noget i retning af dybdeborende,
analyserende journalistik. Dens forudsætning er det kriminaliserede offentlige liv, dens bedste eksempel er Watergateopklaringen
der skabte en bølge af investigative reporting over hele landet.‖
148